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Gerry Gutierrez' Update
Entering The Kingdom Ahead Of Others. First thought as food for prayer on Sep. 05, 2016 GA. 3:15 AM.
Matthew, 21: 28-32. The disobedient, but repentant son is the one commended by Jesus to enter
ahead into heaven before the seemingly righteous one who does not repent from
his sins. It is not hard work and hard conviction that puts you ahead in life
according Jesus, but repentance, faith, and grace. The nightclub stripper who sells her body to total strangers repeatedly,
but under conviction, repents, is the one who enters heaven before the
religious hypocrite who does not believe what he says to believe. As John the Baptist, we too are in this world to Òshow and tellÓ JesusÕ way
of righteousness. ÒWhether they listen or fail to listen, but they will know
that a prophet has been among them.Ó Not to believe a servant of God is not to believe God Himself. A servant of
God is ÒHis messageÓ. The message is of God; not to receive the message is not
to receive God. Belief is the greatest blessing. Unbelief is the unforgivable sin. Belief
joins or separates two parties. When mutual trust is absent, relationship has
ceased to exist. When a person cannot believe another personÕs word, what is there to
believe? Friends are not separated by distance, but by doubt and disbelief. The brothers of Jesus knew him for over thirty years, but that was not long
enough for them to believe in him, while perfect strangers came around Jesus,
listened to Him, believed in Him, and did GodÕs will. Jesus says about them,
ÒHere are my mothers, my brothers and sisters.Ó In this case, faith and love
are thicker than blood. We are prompt to walk away from the brother or sister God has given to us,
doubting what for many years was the Òshow and tellÓ of GodÕs work of grace. If
we cannot believe and keep old friends, but replace them with new friends of
just hours of acquaintance, we deceive ourselves and give more credit to a
mirage than to the reality. Jesus ends this passage endorsing John and condemning the people who did
not repent and believe in him. Of the two sons mentioned by Jesus in the passage, repentance and belief
make the difference between them. Let us repent and believe and get ahead and
enter into heaven before others! Gerry Gutierrez.
The Parable of the Two Sons 28 ÒWhat do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the
first and said, ÔSon go and work today in the vineyard.Õ 29 Ò
ÔI will not,Õ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. 30 ÒThen
the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ÔI will,
sir,Õ but he did not go. 31 ÒWhich of the two did what his
father wanted?Ó ÒThe first,Ó they answered. Jesus said to them, ÒTruly I
tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of
God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way
of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the
prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe
him. Finally relaxing and sleeping like a baby. 
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